Welcome back!

During the term break, we welcomed Mrs Mollie Neil, our new Marketing, Promotions and Events Coordinator.  Mrs Neil comes to us from Mersylink and is already making great strides into understanding the complexity of school life, demonstrating the initiative and energy that was evident during the selection phase.

We were also able to finalise the replacements for Ms Robyn Arthur who begins a period of Long Service Leave.  Mrs Margaret Greenhill (Mondays and Tuesdays) and Mr Stefan Redford (Wednesdays to Fridays) are team-teaching, using the excellent planning that Mrs Arthur has left for them.  Mrs Greenhill is making a partial return to secondary school teaching while she continues her part-time role at OLOL.  Mr Redford comes to teaching following a career in the ADF Intelligence and Public Service departments.

We are in the midst of our deferred NAIDOC celebrations.  Key features include the planting of a garden bed representative of the Aboriginal Flag using native plantings.  Each house has gathered during morning Homeroom to plant a section of the garden.  Wednesday was a feature day with cupcakes distributed among the students and staff.

Enrolment interviews for Year 7 2022 have been continuing.  This year we are devoting a longer time to each interview to ensure that we get the best information for their transition to secondary school.  Places are filling, so if you know of anyone who is yet to submit an application, please encourage them to contact our Enrolments Registrar, Mrs Iola Turner, on 6424 7622.

Once again COVID has had an impact on us.  We are blessed that this impact is precautionary to keep our community safe and that no one has contracted the virus.

The term break has seen sadness affect us at the death of loved ones who are part of our College community.  We keep the Loane, Douglas and Shearer families in our prayers.

Stay safe, keep happy and I will keep you in my prayers.

Frank Pisano

The following Term 3 Reminders were communicated to students this week:

Uniform: Your uniform sets the tone for our learning environment (seniors are important role models for this), so start right before you even leave home by wearing your winter uniform correctly. This includes a tie. Students who repeatedly do the wrong thing without a valid reason will have consequences. PE uniform must not be worn to or from school, unless explicitly advised as the uniform for a whole day excursion. Blazers must be worn at the following times:

On the way to and from school, and at any time when you are off the school property but wearing your uniform (eg in town after school).
At school assemblies.
When representing the college at formal events.
At house/school chapel/liturgy/masses.
 
Attendance: School starts at 8:40am and concludes at 3pm. If you are late, or need to leave early, an explanation from a parent is required, preferably in writing (via email or a handwritten note). The only exception is senior students' Study lines. Year 11s are reminded that the only place you are permitted to go at lunch is the Bizzi Bee, Year 12s are reminded that when going somewhere other than the Bizzi Bee, you must sign in/out at Caritas.

Lockers: Every student is supplied with a locker and a padlock - the expectation is that your things are kept locked in your locker. This applies to all students. The only exception is students on crutches who are permitted to take their bag to class for ease.

Mobile phones: For students in years 7-10, mobile phones are expected to be off and in your locker 8:40am to 3pm, not in your pencil case, blazer pocket, trouser/skirt pocket etc. If your phone is seen, or it is in some other way noticed by a staff member that you are using your phone, it will be confiscated. Refusal to surrender your phone to a staff member will result in the confiscation of your phone by a member of the pastoral care team, with a detention. Please do not use the following excuses:
"I was texting my mum/dad/nan" - the reason is irrelevant. The process for urgent communication with a parent is through Caritas.
"It's my calculator" - this is an insult to our intelligence, and yours.

Students in years 11 & 12 are expected to model appropriate phone behaviour when in the company of junior students - during Homeroom, assemblies, whole, school events etc. While the use of mobile phones by seniors is permitted during Study and break times, their use during class time is at the discretion of the individual teacher (that means whichever teacher is in the room at the time).

You are here to learn. No-one has the right to disrupt your learning. Students who do so should be reported via the "negative behaviour" button on SEQTA.

Subject Selection Guide for 2022 is now available to students and families.  It is available on our website here, or students can now access it via their Student Portal in SEQTA.

There will be printed guides available to take home in the coming weeks. These guides will be available in specific year groups (Years 7 & 8, Years 9 & 10, Years 11 & 12).

This year's theme for NAIDOC week is "Heal Country" Heal Country challenges us all to continue recognising, protecting, and maintaining all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage. To encourage "Heal Country", the students spent some time within their homerooms this week planting some trees in the shape of the Aboriginal flag. As time goes on, these trees will bloom in the respective colours of the flag. 

Students and staff also indulged in some sweet treats this week, sharing 600 cupcakes and coming together while doing so. 

From 31 July 2021, all visitors at the College are required to check in using the Tas Check-in app, regardless of your time spent on-site. For easy check-in, we have multiple QR code posters across the campus. For more information, please visit the corona virus website.

*Note: students are currently not required to check-in. 

At the time of publication there are only a few tickets left for the Thursday night and Saturday matinee sessions.   Don't miss out!

Purchase your tickets here:

https://www.paranapleartscentre.com.au/events/we-will-rock-you/

The Devonport Jazz Festival is coming up, running from 22-25 July 2021. Visit the Devonport Jazz Festival's website for more information, or click here to view the full events program.